Kashmir doesn’t shut for Kasab

For 50-year-old Hafizullah Bazaz, whose Bazaz Cloth House on Aalikadal bridge makes a brisk business, Maharashtra has suddenly become important. But, not for the fidayeen terror Ajmal Amir Kasab’s early morning execution at Pune’s Yarawada Jail. Mr Bazaz, who lives at Narwara and runs a shop at Aalikadal, both in the deep interior of downtown Srinagar, is concerned over the way Shiv Sena cadres have bludgeoned into submission Mumbai’s Shaheen Dhada over her controversial Facebook post.

Mr Bazaz has had a detailed and comparative reading of how 21-year-old Ms Shaheen has been forced to delete her post, which was perceived to be “offensive” to the Shiv Sena patriarch Bal Thakeray. “What about the people who ransacked the hospital of Shaheen’s uncle and sent threats to the family?” Mr Bazaz retorts when asked for his reaction to Kasab’s hanging to death.

“We the Kashmiris have got nothing to do with Kasab’s execution”, says he “as we are all convinced he has been eliminated for his involvement in an act of brazen terror”. “We can not identify ourselves with Kasab and his terrorism for ours is a political movement, a struggle for freedom”, adds Mr Bazaz, an ardent supporter of the Hurriyat chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. “Why should we call or observe shutdown on Kasab’s hanging?”

Mr Bazaz refuses to buy the Omar Abdullah government’s theory that the traders in Valley were “too much bitten” by two three-month-long street strikes in 2008 and 2010. He vehemently defends each of 1600-odd days of shutdown the Kashmiri militants and separatist leaders have enforced in the last 22 years of armed strife. “We have given sacrifices and we’ll continue (to give more in future) if our hartal is for Kashmir’s freedom. We have, in fact, developed an addiction for a shutdown”.

Mr Bazaz, nevertheless, has a big question for all those celebrating credibility of the Indian system of the administration of justice. Asks he: “Advaniji and his men brought down Babri Masjid years before Kasab struck on Mumbai. Who of them has been punished? All those responsible for Malegaon and Makka Masjid are Scot free. Even in Kashmir, hundreds of Ajmal Kasabs are roaming freely”.

Like the bustling marketplaces at Aalikadal, almost all shops and business establishments in the capital city, as also in all other parts of Kashmir valley, operated without an iota of tension or disturbance on Wednesday.

Eminent businessman and former President of Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK), Shakeel Qallandar, echoed Mr Bazaz. “We shut businesses for a cause. Why should we mourn death of someone who was a dreaded terrorist and committed carnage?” asked he. Mr Qallandar, however, cautioned that the situation would be different and Kashmir would “burn” if Afzal Guru was hanged to death. “India”, he said “did justice to Kasab. But, Afzal Guru did not participate in the firing on Parliament”. He alleged that justice had been “bungled” in Guru’s case only to placate some zealots.

Hurriyat and all other separatist groups, who have had passion of making suo moto statements on each and every ‘newsy’ development, remained tightlipped.Both, Hyderpora and Rajourikadal, seats of the two factions of the Hurriyat---Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq---were calm all through the chilly hours of the day of Kasab’s execution. From Nowhatta’s Shaheed Muntazar Chowk to Bohrikadal Chowk on Nallah Maar Road The Hindu found just two shops shut---both for reasons not linked to Kasab’s death.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Srinagar, Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhari admitted that the authorities were “extremely tense” over the potential of disturbance the separatists could create over a Pakistani militant’s execution by the Indian jail authorities. “Immediately after learning about it in the morning, we sounded a red alert”, Mr Bukhari disclosed. However, through an extensive tour of so-called “Chhotta Pakistan”, this correspondent did not find any columns of Police or Central Reserve Police Force that usually dot every street in Srinagar on the days of tension.

There is only one thing that I fail to understand -- why was a man like Kasab hanged when the masterminds behind the Mumbai terror attack are still roaming scot-free? Death penalty for Kasab, who was more or less the scapegoat in this entire episode, will make no difference to the terrorist groups. They will simply hire more gunmen to take down innocent citizens in years to come.

from:
Rachita

Posted on: Nov 23, 2012 at 23:02 IST

Justice Came But I Feel It Took Too Much Of Time. Yes I do know that the dialouge we used to carry from generations that "1000 Culprits Can Escape. But An Innocent Should Not Be Punished" Thats what we follow in our courts handling the legal cases. But he is surely not a culprit, more over we had strong evidence of what he done. So, its just a matter of time to collect the required data from him like who sent him, still what they planned and etc. and execute the punishment. Why can't we figure out that he was a National threat. Just if we look at the things happened or happening (U.S Retalliating the punishing move on the terrorist when they planned to disturb U.S citizens peace or the current war in which Israel defending its boundery to keep its citizens safe and secure..) yes I do agree in that some innocent lives are lost but the main point is we have to clearly send a strong message to those who ever even dreams of disturbing our nations peace.Hope in future we stand strong in ths

from:
ARUN

Posted on: Nov 22, 2012 at 17:02 IST

Our judiciary is too slow, whatsoever be the reason. When the whole world had watched Kasab doing the hateful activity, he should have been hanged much earlier by holding day-to-day hearing, to present a lesson to other outfits dreaming to repeat such incidents. 2. Those who have sympathy with his well wishers on his death, must understand the fact that terrorism does not have any friendship with anyone - if an opportunity arises, they can also become a target anyday.

from:
vinod gulati

Posted on: Nov 22, 2012 at 07:15 IST

Sir,

In our system even a terrorist/non-Indian is given all the legal benefits/options/opportunities mandated by our system. This sets us apart from the quick half-hearted legal hearings that is taking place in our neighbouring countries. I am proud to be part of a civilized society. Proud to be Indian.

from:
Rajesh

Posted on: Nov 22, 2012 at 01:19 IST

After long stint even though having enough evidence Indian government spending unnecessary money 29.9 crs on him(Kasab) to hang….it shows our constitutional power…….

from:
Raghu

Posted on: Nov 22, 2012 at 00:51 IST

We have much more to achieve in eradicating terroism.

from:
Latha

Posted on: Nov 22, 2012 at 00:02 IST

Kasab was just a puppet in the hands of people who are above. The brainwashing n poverty must have prompted him to that hideous crime. The main culprits need to be punished, or else they will turn all innocent children to terrorists.

from:
F Brahma

Posted on: Nov 21, 2012 at 23:26 IST

All the Airport authorities should be alert ,bcaz LET or all terrorist organisations may try to to make suffer India again only by hijacking the planes .
This proved Indians are fully peace minded and also tough by kasab's execution.

from:
vardhan

Posted on: Nov 21, 2012 at 21:08 IST

No sympathies for this murderer. He consciously chose the path to kill innocent people without any remorse. Did the 26/11 victims have the time to ask somebody to tell their parents?

from:
Misbah Ud Din Ahmad

Posted on: Nov 21, 2012 at 18:55 IST

Only a member of the LET organization is hanged.The govt should be very watchful about the retaliatory action by LET.Globally the terrorist organizations have sympathizers and net work and will wait for an opportunity.